Arsenal battled their way through an entertaining game against Bournemouth at the Vitality to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table and make it five wins in a row to boot.
That's five points of breathing room from second-place Aston Villa, who won earlier in the day; Manchester City, in third, trail by a further point, though they will be looking to reduce the deficit at home to managerless Chelsea in a Super Sunday header.
But who can contest that Mikel Arteta has created the most complete team in the Premier League this season? And with so many elite players involved, it was Declan Rice's brace that fired the Gunners further into the ascendancy, underscoring his credentials as one of the very best in the business.
Declan Rice is leading Arsenal's title charge
It really is great to see Martin Odegaard fit and in form once again, but it's Rice who has emerged as the talismanic force for Arsenal this season, the sure-fire Premier League Player of the Year should the club steer themselves over the finish line in first place.
Declan Rice in action for Arsenal
The England midfielder scored not one but two of Arsenal's goals on the south coast, taking his haul to four this season. Not only an additional dimension in front of goal, Rice is consumnate general in the engine room, all-consuming and a leader for his teammates to draw from.
As Sky Sports' Dougie Critchley put it, "they don't come much bigger" than the 26-year-old, who also won four duels and recovered eight balls, as per Sofascore.
However, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for Arteta's men, with several players flattering to deceive. Viktor Gyokeres struggled to produce the goods (though he worked hard in the build-up to Rice's first) as Gabriel Jesus continues to breathe down his neck, but it was another frontman who will be sweating over his starting spot.
Arsenal struggler may now lose his place
Arsenal continue to dazzle this season, but of the three thirds of the field, the frontline has probably left the most to be desired. Gabriel Martinelli is very much a part of this, and he didn't produce his finest display against Bournemouth.
Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli
Martinelli remains a talented winger, but he's not dynamic enough, perhaps a bit predictable. The Cherries gave it their all against Arsenal, and the 24-year-old still lacks the initiative to step up and drive the side forward.
In fairness, he gave Alex Jimenez a tough game, but his delivery wasn't on the money and that's now ten Premier League matches without a direct goal involvement for the Brazil international.
Gabriel Martinelli vs Bournemouth
Stats
Minutes played
Goals
Assists
Touches
Shots (on target)
Accurate passes
Chances created
Crosses
Possession lost
Dribbles
Recoveries
Tackles won
Duels won
Data via Sofascore
Having lost the ball every 3.5 touches but failed to create a significant chance of note, it wasn't the greatest display, especially as Gyokeres continues to toil.
Arsenal content creator James Clark even remarked that the Brazilian winger is "too one-dimensional", thus negating some of Arsenal's threat down the left-hand side. This is exacerbated when Piero Hincapie sits behind him.
All told, Arteta showcased masterful rotation against a dangerous team in Bournemouth. It wasn't enough for Andoni Iraola's side to combat, even if they gave it a good go.
Rice may continue to defy standards, but Martinelli has been unable to match his one-time level for some time now, and with the transfer window currently open, perhaps it wouldn't be the worst thing for technical director Andrea Berta to sniff around for an upgrade on the attacking left flank.
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Arsenal are in a strong position and can afford to be picky in the winter transfer market.